I thought I’d share with you the stuff I wished I’d known when I was first diagnosed with bladder cancer. This is what worked for me, It might not work for you. Choose your own path.
Table of contents
- How to climb out of the cancer diagnosis black hole
- What causes bladder cancer?
- The role of the microbiome in cancer risk
- How sleep affects cancer risk
- Under the knife – bladder cancer surgery
- How I learned to stop worrying and love chemotherapy
- What the hell is cancer immunotherapy?
- Why you need to surrender to a higher power
- How to resolve your emotional trauma
- The role of meditation in healing from cancer
- The healing power of medicinal mushrooms
- The role of diet and the gut microbiome in cancer treatment
- The best diet for cancer prevention and treatment
- The best supplements for cancer treatment
- The best exercise for healing from cancer
1. How to climb out of the cancer diagnosis black hole
It was the 13th of June 2019, a cold and blustery Sunday night in midwinter. I’d stayed up late after my family had gone to bed watching Spirited Away on TV. Getting ready for bed, I went to the toilet with the lights off, not wanting to disturb my sleep-adapted eyes. As I was relieving myself, I noticed that the stream was darker than usual. Something felt odd. I switched on the light. I was shocked to find the toilet bowl full of blood. A cold chill ran down my spine. When I saw blood in my urine, my heart froze… Continue reading
2. What causes bladder cancer?
Until my diagnosis, I was unaware of bladder cancer, its risk factors or its cause. Although it is relatively common, it is not one of the well-known cancers like breast cancer that attracts media attention. This may be because the leading risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking and the social stigma… Continue reading
3. The role of the microbiome in cancer risk
One of the keys to success with chemo the second time was looking after my microbiome. Chemo and antibiotics can have a devastating effect on your gut. An underperforming microbiome not only affects your toilet habits but also impacts your immunity system and mental state. I’ve always had limited success with probiotic supplements. The jury is still out as t whether they can survive the acid in the stomach before they make their way to the lower intestines… Continue reading
4. How sleep affects cancer risk
Poor sleep is associated with chronic disease and not getting enough sleep. I’ve always been a poor sleeper, but I’ve worked on improving it. I wear blue-light-blocking glasses after sundown in the evening. I either get 30 minutes of early morning light before 8 am or wear light therapy glasses in winter… Continue reading
5. Under the knife – bladder cancer surgery
Surgery in the form of transurethral resection of a bladder tumour (TURBT) or cystectomy (bladder removal) is integral to treating most people with bladder cancer. After bladder removal, you must also choose between the type of urinary diversion, including a neobladder or incontinent diversion. The type of surgery depends on the stage of the cancer. It also depends on the type of surgery available in your region and your risk appetite… Continue reading
6. How I learned to stop worrying and love chemotherapy
In 2019, I found the decision to undertake chemotherapy (chemo) difficult. My oncologist clarified that it was like an insurance policy with no guarantees that my cancer would not return. I was traumatised from the lengthy stay in hospital and adjusting to the neobladder. I went into the treatment believing it would poison me instead… Continue reading
7. What the hell is cancer immunotherapy?
In 2020 while I was in remission, I heard a podcast on ABC’s Conversations about The Secret Life of the Plover. Andrew Darby, the author of the book Flight Lines, spoke of his journey of being diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer while writing the book. Chasing the summer, grey plovers travel up to 12,000 kilometres to breed in the arctic each year before returning to Australia for a southern summer. Their ultramarathon flights and tenacity are analogous to the long-term treatment for cancer… Continue reading
8. Why you need to surrender to a higher power
In February 2022, after four rounds of chemotherapy, I was at a low ebb. But in March, I felt the life force moving within me again while listening to the song “I am Free” by Dutch electronic duo Tinlicker. The song begins with the line:
“There was a god, there was a way, there was a path”
9. How to resolve your emotional trauma
I can’t emphasise enough how important this one is. After my first diagnosis, I was in remission through surgery, but it had not cured me. My childhood emotional trauma, the root cause of my disease, had not been addressed. Indeed the trauma of the diagnosis, the surgery, the chemo and adjusting to my new life with a neo bladder only compounded my issues. I just wanted to forget about what had happened and move on with life. But that meant being stuck in the old life. Looking back, it was inevitable that the disease would come back as if I’d changed nothing in my life… Continue reading
10. The role of meditation in healing from cancer
Although I’d meditated on and off for over thirty years, I’d never found a practice that resonated with me. After the first diagnosis, I found my usual method of meditation little use in giving me the mental strength to cope with the disease. Fortunately, the second piece of advice I received from my psychologist was to start practising meditation as taught by Dr Joe Dispenza… Continue reading
11. The healing power of medicinal mushrooms
My first experience with chemotherapy was a rough one. I felt poisoned; the side effects saw me ending up in hospital with infected blood clots in my arms. I wasn’t even sure it was doing me any good. While in my first remission, a friend told me about the cancer prevention qualities of Reishi mushrooms, and I saw a documentary on Netflix called Fantastic Fungi. The documentary included a case study of the medicinal power of mushrooms when taken in tandem with chemotherapy. It really put the hook in me… Continue reading
12. The role of diet and the gut microbiome in cancer treatment
The science shows that a healthy diet lowers cancer risk and enhances treatment. But adhering to these directives can be tricky unless you understand the mechanism. And it appears that the mechanism is once more directly related to the gut microbiome. I found that understanding the mechanism that controls and regulates the immune systems is crucial to adhering to and maintaining good dietary habits and a supplement regime during treatment… Continue reading
13. The best diet for cancer prevention and treatment
The old adage that you are what you eat has never been more true than for cancer. It may not be the only cause or treatment, but it can play a fundamental role in outcomes. There is no doubt about the role of the Western diet in cancer development and the benefits of a healthy diet like the Mediterranean Diet in preventing cancer. But the relationship between diet and treatment, such as immunotherapy, is less well known… Continue reading
14. The best supplements for cancer treatment
The role of supplements in cancer prevention and treatment, such as immunotherapy, is controversial. Many see supplements as an alternative to conventional western medical medicine. Others see them as a waste of money, either unproven scientifically or all available through a balanced diet. You only have to look at the weekly catalogue from chemist chain stores to see how big a business’s supplements have become… Continue reading
15. The best exercise for healing from cancer
Exercising and a good diet may not be enough to prevent you from getting cancer in the first place. But once you get it, it puts you in a much better position to heal than if you are overweight, unfit and eating poorly. Without a foundation of good health, the body cannot cope with the added stress of aggressive disease. There just aren’t enough resources to go around. Once you get the condition, you must keep exercising and eating well… Continue reading